Policy innovation through noise in implementation: best to be grey (or silver) on Friday, in Halifax

Shaun Hargreaves Heap; Oleksandr Talavera

doi:10.1111/sjpe.12302

Policy innovation through noise in implementation: best to be grey (or silver) on Friday, in Halifax

Shaun Hargreaves Heap, Oleksandr Talavera^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Economics

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Abstract

When the implementation of regulations requires judgement, there is bound to be noise in the application of the rules, but is there bias in the noise such that policy innovation, in effect, occurs in implementation? We use a recently available large postcode data set on the MOT road safety testing in the UK to answer this question. There is significant bias: the probability of failing varies systematically across postcodes, day of the week and vehicle colour. A national policy is undermined by this variability and we suggest how policy might be adjusted to reduce this unintended policy innovation.

Original language	English
Journal	Scottish Journal of Political Economy
Early online date	24 Sept 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/sjpe.12302
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 24 Sept 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Scottish Economic Society

Keywords

behavioural bias
policy implementation
policy innovation
postcode differences

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Sociology and Political Science
Economics and Econometrics

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10.1111/sjpe.12302

HeapS2021Policy
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Cite this

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Policy innovation through noise in implementation: best to be grey (or silver) on Friday, in Halifax

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Cite this